"The Dark Night" Recap, Episode 2.03

Serena and Dan are back together – and the word is out! Gossip Girl is on the story and pictures of the happy couple are circulating.

Nate and Vanessa are also back together. Back in the City, Nate appreciates a phone call from Vanessa and promises never to stand her up again. Lurking in the distance watching it all? Catherine (a/k/a The Duchess).

Serena and Blair have a heart to heart about Serena’s relationship with Dan. Blair tells her that she doesn’t want to talk about Dan until Serena sorts out her own feelings.

Catherine calls up Blair for a chat. Getting to know her? Nope, trying to get the scoop on Vanessa. Blair is oh so happy to oblige.

Nate goes back to Chuck to take advantage of the offer to loan his family the money to pay off his father’s lien. Chuck tells Nate that he has already put the money away in bonds (safe move considering the market these days). It is, he says, off limits for six months. Nate tells Chuck not to worry, that he can get the money from somewhere else.

Jenny is finding her “Devil Wears Prada” internship wearing. But she sticks with it because she is hopeful that Eleanor Waldorf will notice her designs. Laurel, however, is determined to make it difficult for her in the meantime.

Dan is confronted in the park by a gaggle of tweens expressing their concerns about his relationship with Serena. Serena returns from a call with her mother to find the tweens warning him away from dating her. They both shoo the tweens off as silly, but you can tell that they were affected by the comments nonetheless.

Blair invites Vanessa to her party, pretending that she’s just being nice. Realizing that doesn’t happen, both she and Nate are immediately suspicious. Blair is really asking at Catherine’s request and Nate finally relents.

Serena tells Chuck that he isn’t over Blair. He first disagrees but then agrees, sort of, because he’s having sexual problems… Despite having a number of girls over, he can’t perform. Serena tells him that it’s because he can’t get over Blair.

Eleanor Waldorf returns to the studio to find Jenny criticizing one of her dresses. Jenny tries to apologize but Eleanor immediately fires her; Jenny is devastated.

Ooh, again with the creepy Vanessa and Rufus moments. Nate cancels on Vanessa and she is devastated. Rufus convinces her to go to the party anyway. She decides to pretend like she didn’t get the message and goes anyway.

Chuck comes onto Blair at her party and asks her to have sex with him. She refuses.

A few moments later, all goes dark in Manhattan.

In the candlelight, Vanessa confronts Nate about Catherine. She asks him to tell her everything. He says that he has to stay with Catherine so that he can get the money to pay his father’s obligations. He can’t. Vanessa says she’ll wait.

Catherine comes looking for Nate and can’t find him. Blair tells her to back off – and then criticizes her for having a midlife crisis. Catherine tweaks Blair when she realizes that Blair isn’t having sex with Marcus. She knows, finding herself in a similar situation. She tells Blair to expect that kind of life every day. Blair reacts by trying to have sex with Marcus. She asks him to meet her in her bedroom. Chuck comes instead and pretends to be Marcus (oh c’mon, like she couldn’t tell immediately?) – Marcus walks in on them as the lights go on. He socks Chuck and runs away. Blair can’t tell Marcus honestly that she didn’t know it was Chuck… He tells her that she doesn’t want him but that he wants her. Blair asks Marcus to show her that he wants her; they kiss.

Serena and Dan quarrel in the elevator during the blackout. Serena wants Dan to play the “Serena” card with maintenance. He refuses, then finally does, and they promise to send someone right away. Dan is again reminded that he is from a different world.

Jenny and Eleanor talk during the blackout. Jenny gives her honest thoughts about Eleanor’s design (“it looks like a pilgrim at a funeral”) and Eleanor agrees. When the lights come back on, Jenny has her job back (like we didn’t see that one coming).

Catherine walks in on Vanessa during the blackout. She talks to Vanessa and Vanessa later tells Nate that she has to leave, that Catherine really loves him (ugh!). Later, Vanessa tells Dan that Catherine threatened to turn in Nate’s dad to the feds if Nate doesn’t continue to see Catherine.

And with that, we’re done. More next week!